After nearly two decades since its Tony-winning Broadway debut, the acclaimed rock musical ‘Passing Strange’ is finally hitting the stage in Los Angeles at the Pasadena Playhouse. This production marks a significant moment for the show and its creators, Stew and Heidi Rodewald, who were prominent figures in the L.A. music scene with their band, The Negro Problem, before the musical took off in New York. The delay, as the article states, has been a long one, leaving many SoCal fans and theater enthusiasts highkey eager to experience the unique narrative that broke ground on Broadway in 2007.
For real, it’s kinda wild it took this long for ‘Passing Strange’ to land in its creators’ old stomping grounds. The report highlights that Stew and Rodewald had a loyal base of rock fans in Southern California, who followed their journey from the L.A. clubs to the Great White Way. The arrival is now thanks to director Zhailon Levingston, who, according to the article, won a Tony this year for his work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball.’ Levingston reportedly made the L.A. premiere of ‘Passing Strange’ a top priority when discussing projects with the Pasadena Playhouse, showing his deep appreciation for the material.
This time around, Stew and Rodewald won’t be performing in the show, as they did during its Broadway and pre-Broadway runs. Instead, Vintage Trouble singer Ty Taylor steps into the role of the Narrator, the Stew stand-in, alongside a talented cast including Brittany Campbell, Britton Smith, and Saycon Sengbloh. The creators are reportedly thrilled to see Levingston’s vision for a project that draws heavily from Stew’s coming-of-age experiences, set to a rocking soundtrack. Stew even mentioned in the report that Levingston knows the play better than they do, highkey suggesting they’d just ‘drag it down’ if they got too involved – a straight-up nod to Levingston’s visionary talent.
Stew, as the article details, has a unique philosophy about the kind of music he and Rodewald create, dubbing it ‘3 a.m. music.’ It’s not the mainstream stuff you’d find everywhere; it’s that ‘dope’ track a cool friend plays for you late at night. The Negro Problem, his band, was a ‘3 a.m. band,’ and ‘Passing Strange’ is a ‘3 a.m. musical.’ This mindset, as he explains, doesn’t always lead to huge financial gains, but it’s never been about the money for them. It’s about creating art that truly connects with a select audience, a legit approach to creativity that hits different.
The creators candidly discussed what they describe as an ‘adversarial relationship’ with both Los Angeles and its press, particularly the L.A. Times, which made the 22-year journey to an L.A. production less surprising for them, though others often wondered why a Tony-winning show hadn’t played its creators’ hometown. Stew and Rodewald, coming from the rock world and having witnessed the music business’s implosion, are portrayed as pretty jaded. They weren’t losing sleep over the L.A. delay, especially after having a London production, which was a dream come true for Stew, making the wait for L.A. feel, as he says, ‘worth it’ given the amazing director at the helm.
Before ‘Passing Strange’ was a full-blown musical, it started as a cabaret-style show called ‘Travelogue’ in various New York clubs. This primitive version, according to the article, caught the attention of The Public Theater, who approached Stew and Rodewald about turning it into a theater piece. The creators, no cap, initially said no three times, as they never really aspired to Broadway. Their rock band roots meant they were just pleasing themselves, not trying to fit a mold, which ultimately allowed the musical to become something truly original and groundbreaking.
Their journey revealed a stark contrast between the music and theater industries. Stew recounted a time when DreamWorks gave them $10,000 for demos, which they used to make an album instead, a move that flew under the radar. In contrast, the theater world, particularly the Public Theater, provided unexpected support and care, offering commissions and retreats. Rodewald noted how ‘theater people are really into lyrics,’ a detail often overlooked by the L.A. press for their band. This focus on lyrical depth in New York allowed them to build a sustainable career, something they felt was impossible in L.A.’s music scene at the time, underscoring how moving east became essential for their artistic livelihood.
‘Passing Strange’ definitely left its mark on Broadway. Stew noted two immediate influences: shows wanting live bands on stage and the adoption of their unique lighting design, initially deemed ‘weird’ but later widely copied. However, he expressed that the show’s influence might not have been deep enough to truly inject a raw ‘rock and roll spirit’ into musical theater. He lamented that many ‘rock musicals’ are still pretty shallow, lacking the unscripted, vulnerable energy of a true rock performance, like an Iggy Pop stage dive. He teaches his students to write with that genuine, unpredictable ethos, aiming for musicals that don’t suck.
As for their current hustle, Stew and Heidi Rodewald are busy as fuck. The Negro Problem is set to drop a new record in ’27. Heidi Rodewald is developing a show about Aileen Wuornos, currently figuring out if it’ll be a song cycle or a full-blown musical. Together, they run Stewdio Zero, a collaborative project with students from institutions like Harvard and The New School, performing new shows every four months at Jack in New York to keep things fresh. Stew also has a film in the works based on their show ‘High Substitute for the Head Lecturer,’ focusing on Amiri Baraka and Allen Ginsberg, plus ‘Broadway-bound’ projects about Muhammad Ali and Thelonious Monk. Additionally, they secured funding for an epic live song cycle about legendary Detroit activists Grace Lee Boggs and Jimmy Boggs, aiming to put these ‘unapologetically radical and wonderfully charismatic’ figures on the map through musical theater.
Stew also teaches at Harvard, guiding students in a class he jokes should be called ‘How to Make Musical Theater That Doesn’t Suck.’ It’s officially titled ‘Singer Plus Song Equals Story,’ and it focuses on infusing a rock ‘n’ roll ethos into their work. He and Rodewald leverage their Stewdio Zero group to bridge generational gaps, with younger collaborators sharing current trends while they impart wisdom about ‘this little thing we like to call the 20th century.’ Stew admitted his struggles with identifying pop stars like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift, sparking zombie-like groans from his students – a hilarious moment that just goes to show you, no matter how ‘dope’ your work, some things take time to click, even for a Tony winner.
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Livia Dorne covers film, television, music, and pop culture with a keen editorial perspective. She delivers engaging commentary, reviews, and behind-the-scenes insights that keep readers connected to the entertainment world. Her style blends critique with storytelling.
